Two Quakers travel to Princeton for M. Tennis ITA Rolex Regional

If you want to see some good tennis, you don't have to go far this weekend. Starting today at the Levy Pavilion, Penn is hosting the annual Rolex Regionals, which brings the area's top players together to play in an individual tournament. There are a pair of Quakers in this weekend's competition -- sophomore Eric Sobotka and senior Jordan Szekely. Besides each participating in the singles draw, they will team-up in the doubles competition. The singles draw has 128 players, with the top 32 seeded. Sobotka, the No. 1 player at Penn, is expected to earn one of those 32 positions, which will prevent him from meeting another ranked opponent in round one. Every Ivy League team expects representation this weekend, in addition to mid-Atlantic schools such as Virginia Tech, Penn State, and George Washington. "It's the biggest individual tournament of the fall," Sobotka said. "It's a really good way to gauge improvement from the start of the fall to the end." While Penn typically has four entrants in this elite event, just two Quakers qualified this season, due to numerous circumstances. "Last year we had four people playing in the tournament, and the year before we had five," Sobotka said. "This year we lost in the first round of the ECAC (East Coast Athletic Conference) tournament, and the consolation matches were rained out, even though they really shouldn't have been." The players are selected to play in the tournament by a committee of college coaches who consider individual records. The results of the tournament play a major role in determining players' regional rankings. Competing in this tourney is often the pinnacle of the fall season. The Rolex Regionals are the final event of a season composed of several tournaments and individual competitions. It is, nevertheless, relatively unimportant compared to the spring, when dual-matches are played. For the more significant spring season, Sobotka has been preparing for the No. 1 singles position both on and off the court. He is trying to improve his serve and has been lifting weights regularly. Sobotka is usually joined by a few of his teammates during his workouts. "We don't have a lot of huge guys on this team," Sobotka said. "Most of the players come to Penn pretty small, and it's really good for us to lift weights." Sobotka pointed to injury problems as a major reason why college tennis teams frequently have disappointing years. Conditioning is a fundamental part of injury prevention, and that includes weight-lifting. Sobotka hopes that his off-court efforts will pay off against the stronger athletes he expects to face at the No. 1 spot this spring. Naturally, he would also like to see some benefits this weekend against the region's top players. "I think that the last match of the season is one of the most important, since it stays with you the longest," Sobotka said. "It would be nice to have a good taste in my mouth to start the spring season." Finishing the season in style, however, will prove tough, given the level of competition at the Levy Pavilion this weekend.